I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around [the banks] will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs. ~ Thomas Jefferson

BEIRUT, LEBANON (3:30 P.M.) – The U.S. military’s 2020 budget will see over $550 million allocated to training and developing forces inside Syria, a new report from the Department of Defense read this week.

During a presentation by the Department of Defense, a reporter asked about the inaudible money that is going to be used to train a border security force inside Syria, despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw most of the American forces from the country.

“So as we know, this year the fight against ISIS in Syria is rolling out, and that the U.S. forces are pulling out of Syria, but we see that still the budget allocates $300 million for Syrian training (inaudible) program and then $250 million for the border security of that — in that country.

Can you explain how this (inaudible) money will be used and who the U.S. is going to train, as the U.S. is already pulling out and the fight against ISIS is coming to be over?”

In response to the question, two officials gave their take on the funding:

DEPUTY COMPTROLLER MCCUSKER: I’ll start and then let General Ierardi comment. I think what you’re seeing in our budget is a reflection as, you know, an updated part of the strategy on sort of where we stand in defeating ISIS, but also continued emphasis on our second line of effort, which is our — our partnerships and our allies and their critical role in, you know, maintaining the — the gains that we’ve achieved in that area.

ALSO READ Update: Syrian military on high alert after Israeli attackLT. GEN. IERARDI: I think we’ll adjust as appropriate as we move forward. As we built this — this budget, it was based on the information at the time, still is an important part of the overall request and we’ll — we’ll adjust as — as necessary.

The U.S. is planning to build a new security force in northern Syria, which will ultimately be tasked with protecting the area along the Turkish border.

R ~ I keep thinking of how often it has been repeated that Israel is our only 'democratic ally' in the region. Repetition seems to have made it true - the US has ONLY ONE ally in the region now. Budgeting for terrorism - it's in our face folks even as they lie over and over again about defeating ISAIS when all the US does is kill innocents or those trying to rid the country of the scourge released by the US in that nation at the behest of Israel.